Over the last couple of years we have looked deeply and widely into the subject of dynamic light scattering. I think it’s worth stopping, from time to time, to look again at the basic principles and restate them – perhaps in different words – to make sure they are understood. Continue reading Dynamic Light Scattering Recap

Having written a lot about Beckman Coulter’s contribution to the field of dynamic light scattering, a recent news item has reminded me that there is a lot more to the company than the manufacture of particle characterisation instruments. The report concerned the acquisition of a specialist developer and maker of cytometers. Continue reading Cytometry

I’m always interested to know something about the background of companies who make the instruments I use. In the case of Beckman Coulter, which makes dynamic light scattering equipment, there is a lot of information to research. Particle characterisation is just one of many areas in which this organisation supplies products and services. Even within that category, the photon correlation spectroscopy (for measuring sizes and size distributions) and electrophoretic light scattering (for measuring zeta potential) instruments are not the only ones on offer. Continue reading Beckman Coulter

The following article, based on application information available via the Beckman Coulter website, gives an example of how measurements of particle size and zeta potential may both be obtained using the same instrument. In this case the subject is fat globules in homogenised milk. Continue reading Studying Fat Globules in Milk

When reading about the principles underlying a particular analytical instrument or technique, I often come across concepts which are not fully explained but which the authors assume will be recognised by the reader. Sometimes it’s good to have a look at those concepts and make sure their significance is understood. One that I’d like to mention is Brownian motion, or Brownian movement. Continue reading Brownian Motion and Dynamic Light Scattering

If you have been reading some of the other posts on this blog you will know by now that dynamic light scattering offers a quick and accurate method of obtaining information on size, and size distribution, of particles held in suspension or solution. The variety of particle types to which it can be applied is enormous, ranging from 0.6 nm to 7 µm in size and from simple solutions and suspensions to polymers in very complex fluids. Continue reading Dynamic Light Scattering in Protein Studies